9/18 Mobile Magazine

Pre-Orders Taken for ITG xpPhone with Windows XP September 17, 2009 at 4:12 pm BlackBerry OS? iPhone OS? Symbian OS? These are all perfectly viable mobile platforms, but they still don’t offer the same kind of utility that you’d be able to extract from a true desktop operating system. That’s why ITG has decided to create a new smartphone that is powered by a full build of Windows XP. That’s right. It’s ditching that whole Windows Mobile nonsense. The appropriately named xpPhone comes from In Technology Group (ITG) of China and it really does run a complete version of Windows XP. This phone was on display at Computex a few months ago, but it seems that ITG is now ready to take preorders on the potentially groundbreaking device. As you may or may not recall, the ITG xpPhone comes with a 4.8-inch touchscreen, slide-out QWERTY keyboard (strangely complete with a numeric keypad), integrated GPS, an AMD Super Mobile processor, GSM/GPRS/EDGE, 3G connectivity, 1.3MP camera, and VGA output. Looking at the pre-order page, you can take your choice of 3G, including a version that is happy with AT&T’s HSDPA/HSUPA. Given the massive display and the bulky slide-out keyboard, the ITG xpPhone is anything but small. You can probably expect it to be about the same size as something like the Nokia Internet tablets, so I’m not sure how much “phone” use you’ll be getting out of it. ITG hasn’t come forward with an official release date or pricing yet, but you can place a pre-order and hope for the best. I guess they’re taking a “wait and see” approach. Source: Gizmodo Tiny Micro MP3 Player No Bigger than Just Earphones September 17, 2009 at 4:03 pm Sure, it may not be able to do HD radio like the new Zune HD. Sure, it may not be able to shoot videos on the fly like the new iPod nano. That much may be true, but the MP3 Micro Sport from Thanko has got to be one of the smallest music players on the market today. This thing fits right in your ear. In effect, you’re getting a portable MP3 player that’s even smaller than the iPod shuffle, since the headphones and the player are one and the same. It’s like getting the Oakley Thump but without the sunglass part. The Thanko MP3 Micro Sport looks like a really small Bluetooth headset, fitting snugly into your ear for all your Green Day and David Bowie-listening needs. To get the stereo sound effect, you attach the other earbud cord using the included mini-USB connection. The net result is something that’s about the same size and configuration as a stereo Bluetooth headset, except it’ll come packed with your choice of music and podcast content. Just don’t ask me about the controls, since there don’t appear to be any very obvious ones on there. Choose between the 2GB version for $55 or the 4GB model for $77. Find it for sale on GeekStuff4U.com. Source: Crunchgear LG WIDEBOOK Laptop Line Loves Dem Capital Letters September 17, 2009 at 3:48 pm What’s up with companies insisting that their product names be written with all capital letters? We saw it happen with the MOTORAZR. We saw it again with the PLAYSTATION 3. And now we’re seeing it again with the announcement of hte new LG WIDEBOOK line of laptops. If you’re expecting something absolutely groundbreaking to justify the extra need for the Caps Lock on your keyboard, you may find yourself a little disappointed. The LG WIDEBOOK takes on the 16:9 “cinematic” aspect ratio, but that seems to be par for the course for so many of these multimedia notebooks these days. There are going to be five models in all as part of the WIDEBOOK series and all of them will get that 16:9 aspect ratio and LED-backlit displays. The smallest of the bunch is the 13-inch R380. Hitting up the middle are the 14-inch R460 and the 15.6-inch R560. And then there are higher-end options in the 14-inch R480 and 15.6-inch R580. Features are set to include Windows Vista (or Windows 7), Core 2 Duo processors, between 2GB and 4GB of RAM, NVIDIA GeForce graphics chips (up to 1GB), and screen resolutions as high as 1600 x 900 pixels. The R580 gets Blu-ray too. The initial launch is being scheduled for this month, releasing the first batch of LG WIDEBOOK notebooks to Turky, Dubai and Saudi Arabia. Other countries in Europe, Latin America, and North America follow shortly thereafter. No word on price. Source: BGR T-Mobile G1 Android Phone Just Got Cheaper September 17, 2009 at 3:35 pm Considering that some new Google Android options have already hit the market and there are a few more that will soon be on the way, I guess it makes sense for T-Mobile to make the first Android phone a little more enticing for potential customers. T-Mo can’t do it with new features, so the T-Mobile G1 is getting a price slash instead. And when I say price slash, I really mean a rather minor price reduction. Seeing how you can go through some third-party retailers to get a T-Mobile G1 on contract for as little as $99, this price reduction from T-Mobile itself doesn’t sound quite as appealing. Instead of the regular $149.99 price tag attached to this phone up until now, the T-Mobile G1 can now be purchased for $129.99 with a qualifying service agreement. Personally, I think it makes more sense for you to shop on Amazon or Wirefly for a better deal. Better yet, ditch the older handset and go for one of the new Android phones instead. You won’t be able to get an official HTC Hero through T-Mobile, but that new Motorola Cliq should be coming to T-Mo in the next couple of months. Source: Intomobile